Eidos Montreal made a name for itself with “Deus Ex: Human Revolution.” The new studio took an ambitious risk, trying to reboot a legendary PC title, and it paid off. The team created a good game that captured the essence of the original while introducing modern-day elements. For an encore, the developer is resurrecting another classic franchise — “Thief.”

When it was released in 1998, “Thief” spit in the face of conventions. It was in first person, but it eschewed the run-and-gun gameplay of contemporaries such as “Quake.” It steered clear of sci-fi locales and delved headlong into a Victorian, steampunk city. More importantly, it pioneered the first-person stealth genre, which favored players who avoided direct combat and used cunning and misdirection to get the job done.

Eidos Montreal’s reboot carries over these gameplay elements, as well as the setting and characters. Fans of the original will feel right at home. But thankfully, newcomers won’t need to know too much about the “Thief” mythology to enjoy it. The game anchors itself with a narrative focused on the relationship between Garrett, the longtime star of the series, and a new character named Erin.

Garrett mentors the upstart pilferer, and in the prologue mission, they’re tasked with stealing the Primal Stone from aristocrats. Unfortunately, the job goes awry — and they’re caught in an explosion. The next thing the master thief knows is he’s being wheeled into The City after a year away. A disease called the Gloom has infested the neighborhoods. Baron Northcrest has seized control, and Erin’s fate is unknown.

Players have to figure out what happened on that disastrous mission and how it is influencing the turmoil of the present. But that’s easier said than done as “Thief” fails to explain the core concepts very well. Yes, players have to sneak in the dark. They can snipe at pesky guards with Garrett’s bow. But the game doesn’t explain the finer points that makes players’ lives easier.

The focus move is glossed over, but it’s a vital power that slows time, shows off secrets and aids Garrett in combat. Players have to learn that they can use the bow for more than killing. It can cause distractions, shattering glass across a room or activating faraway switches. Some of these ideas are important to some chapters and can make a challenging level more manageable.

The fact that players have to constantly learn on the job through trial and error takes away from the flow of the gameplay. It also distracts from well-designed levels that contain several pathways and solutions around problems. It’s these type of issues, along with the load times between zones and vague puzzles, that hurts “Thief.”

It’s a reboot built on a great foundation — and, at moments, it shines — but “Thief” stumbles on its mission to give players a good time.